Engine shuts down after warm-up.

[mike redmond]

Well I was so close i could taste it. Then the bomb hit. The coupe is complete except for some minor things so i took my wife for a ride yesterday. We went about 14 miles and then the engine shut down. It seemed like there was no spark (although being stuck along the side of the road I didn't test it). The engine cranked and there was 40 psi of fuel pressure and all of the lights worked. I got a friend to tow me home and after we pulled the coupe into the garage I was able to start it.

I took off work today to get it licensed so i went out this morning to see if it would start and it did so I took it down to MVD which is about 2.5 miles from my house. I pulled into the inspection lane and shut it down. The inspection went fine but i was a little amazed, all the inspector looked at was the odometer. No checking the lights, horn, wipers or anything. Well anyway I got my license and when I went to start the car to leave it wouldn't start again. Again another tow back home. After about 2 hours i was able to start the car and drive it up into the garage.

It seems to run fine until it gets warm/hot and then it shuts down. It has done this before but my wife keep telling me i was out of gas. After the time it took to get more gas and put it in the car, it would start again.

Engine items:
* 302 ford racing crate motor
* Mass-Flo fuel injection system
* Mallory distributor
* Mallory coil (attached to the front left side of the head with a 1/4 inch air gap to the head)
* I-Squared M-plus electrical system except the engine wiring which came with the Mass-Flo.
* AL9 ECU or something like that for the fuel injection system which is located on the top part of the drivers foot box. (this area was still registering 132 degrees f when I got back on sunday. It was over 100 degrees that day.

It seems like something is getting hot and shutting down the signal/spark/whatever to the engine.

Can you help me with trying to track down the culprit?

Thanks Much,
Mike

[FFR5452]

Sounds jut like a coil failing, if you have one.

[1cobra]

Hi Mike,
You need a ballast resistor, .7 to 1.5 ohms on the + side of the coil, in series, in the power line or it can burn out your coil.
Good luck,
Perry.
ps- would like to see your coupe in the fall when we are down there, October sometime?.

[mike redmond]

Perry,
Wouldn't the resister have come with something like the coil or the mass-flo unit since it was a complete package?
What kind of ballast resister to i need to get and where can i get it? Does it need to be a special high temperature one?
And would glad to see you in the fall. I can take you out to dinner.
Mike

[ChazC5ZX]

Hi Mike. What you described is exactly what happens if your coil get's to hot. Make shure it's not to close to A heat source and has some air flow around it.
Chaz...

[1cobra]

Hi,
The mallory coil has a matching resistor
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MAA-700/
or you can use an MSD 8214
You can get it from Summit or locally.
I think Orileys or another shop will have it, they are a high temp, high wattage resistors.
Perry.

[rich grsc]

Ballast resistors are used on point type distributors, not use with efi ignitions. They where used to keep from pitting the points.

[twan374]

Not so, some electronic ignition systems require a ballast resistor. I am currently working on a 924 turbo porsche. The diagram for the DIC shows a 1.5 ohm resistor in the primary circut and a 1 ohm resistor in the cranking ,overide circut. That was the factory wiring diagram.

[twan374]

I also forgot to mention, the condenser is what keeps the points from burning up, or actually wearing out from the spark that occurs each time they open and close just like any switch.

[1cobra]

Mike,
I forgot to say DO NOT START ENGINE ANYMORE until you get the resistor in the coil + circuit. When my friend tried starting his 429 without it he ruined his new chrome coil. I had to replace the coil and add the resistor.
Perry.

[gswartz]

I have had a lot of hot and cold start issues with my mass flo system as well.

Read the codes when it shuts down.

I had a similiar issue and Chris as mass flo helped me track it down to a single connector that was getting a good signal when the engine bay was cool but not warm. Only way we found the issue though was by read the codes to figure out which sensor was giving me the trouble.
here is Chris number at mass flo in case you need it. (508) 867-6733

[Dana]

Not all Mallory ignition systems/coils use a ballast resistor. Maxfire distributors do not use one. Unilite distributors need one or the module will burn up. Best thing to do on coil and distributor wiring: read the instructions that came with the ignition system.

Before you get too carried away, you need to find out what's missing when it won't start: no spark, no injector pulse, no fuel pump, etc.

[mike redmond]

I really appraciate all of your input and help.
I ordered the ballast resistor last night but now am wondering if my coil is still good.
I will have to check out the mass-flo codes tonight, if I don't have to start the car. I don't think that i have the anything but the mass-flo instructions, not each individual instruction sheet. Everything on the distribution side was a mallory part.
I'll let you know if I come up with anything.
I have decided to move the coil to the top of the passenger side foot well to help.
I am anxious to fix this and then apply for graduation.
Thanks,
Mike

[Rob Burton]

Mike, make sure your coil is mounted vertical, not horizontal....this can happen from mounting it wrong....I have mass flo complete system and no resistor

[mike redmond]

Rob,
Did I miss something in the instructions (highly possible even before a beer) about mounting it horizontally?
Mine is mounted vertically.
Mike

[CJBergquist]

Mike you should be able to find all the Mallory documentation for your specific system here.

Product Instructions

[loeffler1]

Rob

What is the reasoning behind mounting the coil vertically vs horizontally? Mine is mounted horizontally on the passender footbox. Doesn't seem to bother it, although mine is not licensed yet so haven't taken any trips other than illegal sprints up the street for possibly 15 minutes. Now my coil is an MSD not Mallory. Is this the difference?

Bill

[snapperlr]

If it's an epoxy coil it can be oriented any way you choose. If it's oil filled it has to be mounted vertically. The instructions should note this.

[Richard Oben]

My bet is the PIP in the dizzy or the TFM module. HTH, Richard.

[AC Bill]

Should be easy enough to test the coil the next time it does that..least you could start to narrow the problem down..fuel, spark, electrical glitch..Maybe it's a vapor lock issue, and the coil is fine?

I remember a while back, a member was having an issue just like that, and it was fuel related.

[mike redmond]

Hopefully i will let you know this weekend. This week I stripped back my wiring harness on the left side to fish back the wires to the coil and then removed the coil from it location on the end of the left head. Now I am in the process of moving the coil to the top of the passenger foot box. I had to get a longer coil wire last night but should have it mounted today sometime.
I don't think that it was a fuel lock, but time will tell.
After it's running for more than a few miles, I can request graduation.
thanks for all the suggestions,
Mike

[1cobra]

Hi,
You could try leaving the gas cap loose or off to rule out a vapour problem if it is still cutting out. On my other cobra I drilled a 1/8" hole in the cap to vent it.
Perry.

[diverross2]

I had the same problem, but with a twist...Engine ran great for 1100 miles...then out of nowhere stalled...had to get towed home...traced it to the maxfire distributor...voltage in, but not out to the coil after car was warmed up...I would let it cool down and it would start right up, for 9 min..until the car warmed up...Dist. Was out of warrenty, Mallory said they could fix it for a price...
Dave Ross

[CJBergquist]

Hey Mike....what was the final outcome?